Confectionery depositors



March 21, 196 R. L. GREENBERG CONFECTIONERY DEPOSITORS 7 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Filed July 23, 1958 March 21, 1961 R. L- GREENBERG 2,975,731

' CONFECTIONERY DEPOS'ITORS Filed July 25, 1959 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV EN TOR.

Robgyt L.Greenberg March 21, 1961 R. GREENBERG ,975,73

CONFECTIONERY DEPOSITORS Filed July 23, 1959 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 F IG. 2a.

Illlllll 755 INVENTOR.

Robggt L.Greenberg aria 4y March 21, 1961 R. GREENBERG 2,975,731

CONFECTIONERY DEPOSITORS Filed July 23, 1959 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

Robert L.Greenberg March 21, 1961 R. L. GREENBERG 2,975,731

CONFECTIONERY DEPOSITORS Filed July 25, 1959 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIGS.

IN VEN TOR.

Robg gt L. Greenberg dZZor-gg March 21, 1961 R. GREENBERG CONFECTIONERY DEPOSITORS 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed July 25, 1959 m N r, m 8 m m e r G w B t r e w 3 R \m mm wm kw wm diiorggy March 21, 1961 R. L. GREENBERG CONFECTIONERY DEPOSITORS 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed July 23, 1959 INVENTOR.

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United States Patent 9 2,915,731 CONFECTIONERY DEPOSITORS Robert L. Greenberg, Englewood, NJ., assignor to National Equipment Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed July 23, 1959, Ser. No. 829,015

7 Claims. (Cl. 107-29) This invention relates to depositors for confectionery machines and more particularly to an apparatus of this character in which candies, composed of chocolate or of any other material in plastic or semi-liquid form, are deposited upon a continuously moving belt or band, from a depositor which travels along with the belt or band at a rate of speed similar to that of the belt or 'band while makinga deposit, to then return to depositing position for the next deposit over a fresh section of the belt.

It is an object of the invention to provide a depositor of this character by which a marked increase in candy production is assured. It is another object of the invention to provide a depositor in which the belt or band ,upon which the deposits are made is in continuous movement so that the stops and starts incidental to the operation of an intermittently-operated belt are eliminated and shocks and jars to the candies'on the belt are avoided.

It is another object of the invention to provide means, in an apparatus of this character, by which the moving support or belt upon which the candies are deposited, can be raised or lowered with relation to the depositing nozzles, and at the proper times, to thereby result in the formation of candies of a certain specific shape.

More particularly, the invention comprises a continuously-moving belt or band over which a depositor is operative, and which is arranged for reciprocating movement to. a predetermined extent, whereby it is moved along in company with the belt and at the same rate of speed during the deposit, and is then retracted to position it above a succeeding section of the belt preparatory to' the next deposit; and in the provision of means by which the area of the belt positioned below the depositor is raised and maintained close to the outlets of the depositor nozzles 'when the candy is first forced out of the same and then moved down from the nozzles to thereby form the deposited candies into conical shape. g Withtheseand other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangementof parts to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a continuous depositor constructed according to the invention;

Fig. 2. is a top plan view, with parts in section of a portion of the depositor; a

Fig. 2a is a continuation of the right end of Fig. 2;

Fig. 3, is a side el'evationalview of the gear casing for.

: Fig. 8. is a diagrammatic view of the depositonshowing 2,975,731 Pat nted r. 21, 19 1 its relation to the belt or band on which the candies are deposited;

Fig. 9 is a view of a portion of the driving mechanism;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 10-10 of Fig. 9, looking in the direction of the arrows, and V Fig. 11 is a view of the belt drum at the delivery end of the machine, together with the driving means vfor the drum.

Referring to Fig. 8, wherein the apparatus is somewhat diagrammatically shown, 1 indicates the belt or continuous band upon which the chocolates or candies of other semi-liquid material are formed. The belt 1 is preferably, but not necessarily composed of relatively thin metal such as stainless steel, and at its opposite ends it extends around rotatable drums, one of which is shown at 2. The drum 2a at the opposite end of the belt(Fig. 11) is located at the delivery end of the machine. The drum 2a at the delivery end of the machine may be the driven drum, the same carrying a sprocket 5a on its shaft 6a, said sprocket being engaged by the chain 3a driven from a suitable 'rnotor 4a.

After the candies, which have been deposited on the belt by the depositing means to be described, leave the depositor, they are carried by the belt through a lengthy cooling chamber (not shown, but which may be of known type) and which tends to harden the candies so that at the delivery end 1a of the belt they emerge ready for packaging.

By the means above described, the belt 1 is continuously driven, its upper stretch moving under the depositor 7 which, while moving for a predetermined distance along with the belt 1 and at the same rate of travel as the belt, deposits the candy material from its nozzles onto the belt. The drum 2, and the similar drum 2a at the delivery end of the belt are each rotative in suitable bearings in a supporting frame, oneof which frames is shown at 3 and on which the drum carriage 4 is slidably adjustable by suitable adjusting means 5 to maintain the belt in the required degree of tautness. The lower stretch of the belt 1 may be supported by suitable idle rollers, someof which are shown at 13.

for a period of time sufiicient to effect a deposit of a number of rows of candies on top of the belt, At the end of its travel along with the belt, the depositor reverses its direction of movement and positions itself over the succeeding area of the belt and over which the next deposit is to be made. It then travels along with the belt as above described while making the deposit and then again reverses its direction of travel to bring its nozzles again over a fresh section of the belt to deposit thereon while moving along with the belt. This procedure is continued as long as the machine is in operation.

'The advantages of depositing upon a continuously moving belt as distinguished from an intermittentlymoving belt are numerous. One outstanding advantage is that the candies may be more closely spaced on the belt thus resulting in a marked increase in production. A sec ond advantage is that the candies are not jarred or subjected'to shock likely to occur with the stopping and starting of an intermittently-moving belt.

The depositor 7 may be of known construction, such as the staggered pump bar type shown in the patents to Perkins, Nos. 2,597,175; 2,764,322; 2,771,225 and 2,857,- 225 or it may be of other construction. A depositor of the type described includes a plurality of pistons whichuponraising or elevating movement draw the confecg,

constant speed ratio at all times.

tionary material into their cylinders and which on a downstroke faster than the upstroke, force the material out of the nozzles 8 and onto the belt. A pump bar, preferably but not necessarily, of the staggered-passage type for greater production and close spacing of the candies on the belt, is slidably operative between the outlets of the cylinders and the nozzles, to thereby cause the pistons to first draw the confectionery material into the cylinders on the piston upstroke, and then force the material out through the nozzles on piston downstroke.

One of the types of confection capable of being produced by the present apparatus is a conical or tipped chocolate piece, and to impart to candies of this kind the requisite conical shape terminating in a tipped apex, the belt 1 on which the candies are deposited, is given a raising and lowering movement at predetermined times to thereby bring it close to the mouths of the nozzles on its raising movement and: while the chocolate is first emanating from the nozzles, and then moving the belt downwardly or away from the nozzles, thereby drawing the chocolate to a point or tip and giving the desired conical shape to the candy.

In the embodiment of the invention shown, the depositor and various associated parts, are mounted on a reciprocating carriage, including a top plate 9 and spaced parallel side plates 10 secured thereto, the frame thus provided straddling the frame of the machine. The frame of the machine includes the side walls indicated respectively at 22 and 23 which are connected and braced by various cross members such as are indicated respectively at 24, 25, 26 and 27. The depositor carriage carries rollers 12 which ride on tracks 11 mounted stationarily on the frame of the machine. The depositor carriage is additionally guided in its horizontal reciprocating movement by rollers 28 which ride against hardened steel plates 29 fastened to the side walls 22 and 23 of the frame. The latter rollers, co-operating with the rollers 12, operate to prevent elevating and sidewise movement of the depositor carriage 'thus maintaining it against undesirable lateral and vertical movement.

The reciprocating movement of the depositor carriage is effected by a constant speed motor indicated at 14 and said motor is synchronized with the variable speed motor 4a which drives the belt drum 2a located at the delivery end of the machine, in order to maintain a That is to say, the belt speed can when necessary, be varied slightly by adjustment of the variable speed motor 4a in order to conform to the depositor speed, but when an adjustment has been made, the ratio must stay constant. Synchronism of this nature may be effected by the. US. Motor Varidyne System, in which variable frequency is fed into both motors, but the sameeffect may also be secured in many other ways.

The motor 14 drives sprocket 15 from which chain 18 extends to sprocket 19 on shaft 21. Tension of the chain 18 may be maintained by the idler 16, mounted in adjustable bracket 17. Shaft 21 extends through a gear casing 20 and is rotative in bearings 21a. and 22a thereon. Shaft 21 carries a gear 47, located in the gear casing 20, and which meshes with a gear 48, also inthe casing 20. Bevel gear 30, located externally of the casing 28, meshes with a bevel gear 31 on shaft 32. The clutch shown at 33 is operated by lever 34 pivotally att-ached to a rod 35 guided by guide 3511 and connected at one end to a lever 36, pivoted in a bracket 37 secured to the side wall 22 of the frame of the machine. By disengagement of the clutch 33 the drive to the depositing mechanism is discontinued. From the clutch 33 the-drive is transmitted through a sleeve 38 supported in bearing bracket 81a, to the shaft 41 which carries two rollers 39 rotatively mounted on a pin 80 extending transversely through the shaft 41" at one end of the same as shown in Figs. 9 and 10; Said rollers 39 ride on hardened plates 40 contaned within the sleeve- 38 and fastened thereto by means of the screws 40a. Secured on the shaft 41 is a bevel gear 42 meshing with a bevel gear 43 fastened on a cross shaft 44 which constitutes the timing shaft operative to obtain any desired relative timing between the piston stroke in the depositor, the cut-off bar motion, the belt-lift motion and the tank paddle agitator.

As previously stated, while the chocolate or other semiliquid material is being deposited on the belt 1 by the operation of the depositor generally indicated at 7, it is essential that the nozzles 8 of the depositor and the belt shall have no relative movement lest the deposits on the belt be made elongated rather than round. The means by which the required synchronism is maintained is more clearly disclosed in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The gear casing, within which such mechanism is contained, is shown at 20 and is provided with the supporting feet 45 and 46 respectively secured to the cross braces 27 and 26.

Shaft 21,extending through the gear box 30 constitutes. the constant speed drive, and as previously mentioned, it carries the gear 47 in mesh with the gear 48 on the output shaft 49. Gear 48, while located on the shaft 49, is not keyed thereon but idles on the shaft on a fixed bearing 50 surrounding the shaft and bolted on the gear casing as indicated at 51. Keyed on the fixed bearing 50 is an eccentric 52. A hollow ring 53 rides on the outside of the eccentric 52 and is provided with apair of rotating blocks 54 and 54a, one of which extends out from each side of the ring 53, 180 apart. The gear 48 is slotted, ,as shown at 55, for engagement with one of the blocks 54, thus causing the ring 53 to rotate around the eccentric 52. The block shown at 54a fits into a slot 56 on the output hub 57 that is keyed to the shaft 49. On the ends of shaft 49 are keyed the eccentries 58 connected by adjustable links 60 to the side plates 10 of the depositor carriage, as indicated at 59.

The above-described arrangement is such that a variable speed is'fed into the eccentrics 58 and the speed of the depositor carriage is regulated so that it will always approximate the constant speed of the belt 1 during a certain portion of the depositing stroke namely, about of such stroke. There is, through the mechanism above described, a quick return movement of the depositor carriage due to the fact thatthere is a slow down of the carriagev during the time that its speed coincides with the speed of the belt andthis time is made up on the return travel of the carriage. The motion of reversal at both ends of travel of the carriage is very smooth so that as a result the. machine can be operated at high speeds with no jerks at the points of reversal, in spite of the fact that the total weight being moved is very substantial.

Rotatively mounted within the tank or reservoir 6 is a paddle or agitator 76 (Fig. 7) which is timed with the pump of the depositor in order to force the chocolate or other material into the cylinders of the depositor during the suction stroke of the pistons thereof. The paddle or agitator 76 is mounted on a shaft 77, supported at one end in the bearing bracket 78 (Fig. 1). Shaft 77 carries a sprocket 79, engaged by a chain 80a, engaged by an idle sprocket 88a and extending'around a sprocket 81 on a shaft 82 rotative in a supporting bracket 83'. Shaft 82 carries a gear 84 in mesh with agear 85 on shaft 86 rotative in the bracket 83. Shaft 86 also carries a sprocket 87 driven by a chain 88 from sprocket 89 on the shaft 44.

The mechanism for lifting or elevating the belt 1 consists of two rollers 70 and 71 (Fig. 2a) located below the upper stretch of the belt and effective at the proper time to elevate the belt. The rollers 70 and 71v are positioned below the nozzles8 and at the inception of the depositing operation of the confectionery material from the nozzles, the rollers 70 and 71 are moved upwardly tothereby bring the belt relatively close to the '5 ends of the nozzles and as the belt is moved downwardly by the lowering movement of the rollers, the deposited material is drawn to a tip or apex, the resultant candies being substantially conical.

Rollers 70 and 71 are rotatively mounted in a frame 72 supported by arms 73 mounted on shaft 74 rotative in bearings 74a and 74b mounted on the side frames vof the depositor carriage and carried thereby. Shaft 74 is thus carried by the depositor carriage and is escillated in a manner to cause suitable raising and lowering of the frame 72 and the rollers 70 and 71 carried thereby, by means of an adjustable eccentric 75 on the timing shaft 44 operative through an adjustable link 76.

The body of the pump bar mechanism is generally indicated at 9,5, the same being supported by adjustable rods 130. The mechanism for reciprocating the cut-oif or pump bar of the depositor includes the cam lever 96 provided with two rollers 97, in contact with a cam 98 on the shaft 44. Cam lever 96 is pivotally connected at 99 to one end of lever 100 centrally pivoted at 101 to bracket 102 secured to the side plate 10 of the depositor carriage. The bracket 116 supports the end of shaft 44. The second end of lever 100 is pivotally connected at 103 to an adjustable link 104 connected at 105 to a slotted link 106 pivoted-at 107 to a bracket 108 secured to the side plate 10 of the carriage.

Adjustably mounted at 109 in the slot of the link 106 is one end of a link 1110 having its opposite end attached to an arm 111 secured on shaft 112 mounted foroscillating movement in brackets 115 fastened to the side plate 10. Also secured on the shaft 112 is a clevis 113 attached to an arm 114, extending from the pump bar.

The mechanism for operating the pistons of the depositor 7 includes on each side of the machine, an cecentric on shaft 44 operative on the yoke 117 pivotally attached at 118 to bracket 119 secured to the side plate 10. Yoke 117 pivotally connects to a link 120 having one end pivoted to slotted lever 121 pivoted on the bracket 102. Lift rod 122 has its lower end adjustably fixed in the slot of lever 121 and has its upper end pivotally attached at 123 to the head 124 to which the pistons of the pump of the depositor are connected. This arrangement is such that the necessary vertical reciprocation of the pistons is attained in properly timed relation to the other associated elements of the apparatus.

The jointed shafts 135, one of which carries a sprocket 136 are employed in connection with a pump stroke adjusting device of known construction and hence not herein shown in detail.

From the foregoing, the operation of the described apparatus .will be apparent. The belt 1, travelling in the direction of the arrows shown intFigs. 1, 8 and 1.1 is in continuous movement and during each deposit, the depositor has its travelling speed coinciding with the speed of travel of the belt so that the deposits on the belt are properly shaped and spaced. The elevating of the belt at the inception of the deposit and its subsequent lowering movement forms the required tipped effect on the candies. Due to the arrangement described, the candies may be closely spaced on the belt, resulting in a substantial increase in production. The movements of the depositor carriage are smooth and with no jars at the changes from forward to reverse movement and the desired variation in speed of the carriage from a slower forward movement to a faster rearward movement is attained without difficulty.

Having described a single embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1, In a confectionery machine, a continuously mov ing belt, a depositor positioned thereover, said depositor having nozzles, means for reciprocating the depositor in a manner to cause the same to be moved in the same direction as the belt and at the same travelling speed while the depositorjis depositing confectionery material on the belt, and then reversing its movement to position it over-,a fresh section of the belt for deposit there on as the depositor again moves along in company with the belt, and means carried by the depositor for elevating the belt to bring it in close proximity to the nozzles while the deposit is first being made, and then moving the belt away from the nozzles to draw the deposited material into conical formation.

2; In a confectionery machine, a moving belt and a depositor located above the same, the depositor having nozzles from which confectionery material is dispensed, means for moving the depositor and. the belt at substantially the same rate of travelling speed 'while the depositor is depositing confectionery material on the belt, and means carried by the depositor for first supporting the belt closely adjacent to the nozzle terminals and then moving it away from the same during the depositing operation.

3. In a confectionery machine, a frame, a continuously moving belt having a stretch movable above the frame, a depositor slidably and reciprocably mounted on the frame above the belt, gearing operative to reciprocate the depositor and when moving forwardly, move the same at a speed similar to the speed of travel of the belt, means for operating the depositor to cause it to deposit confectionery material on the belt while the depositor is in such forward movement in company with the belt, said means being operative to retract the depositor to position over a succeeding portion of the belt upon conclusion of the deposit, and means carried by the depositor and engageable against a portion of the belt below the depositor for raising and lowering such portion of the belt to hold that portion of the belt adjacent to the depositor outlets during first deposit of the same and then causing movement of the belt in a direction away from the depositor.

4. In a confectionery machine, a machine frame, rails thereon, a depositor carriage straddling the machine frame, supporting rollers carried by the depositer carriage, rails on the machine frame on which said rollers ride, a depositor mounted on the depositor carriage, said depositor having nozzles from which a confection is dispensed, a continuously-moving belt having a stretch moved below the depositor and receiving deposits of confection from the nozzles of the depositor, means operative to move the depositor along in company with the belt during the time that deposits are being made, beltlifting rollers carried by the depositor carriage, means also carried by said carriage to cause elevation and lowering of the belt rollers to bring the belt closely adjacent to the ends of the nozzles at the inception of a deposit therefrom and then cause lowering movement of the beltlifting rollers with resultant lowering of the belt, drive means mounted in the machine frame, and compensating means operative between said drive means and the beltraising and lowering means to permit of the reciprocable movement of the depositor carriage relatively to the machine frame.

5. In a confectionery machine, a carriage on which a depositor is mounted, the depositor having nozzles from which deposits are made, a continuously-moving belt operative below the nozzles, means for raising the belt toward the nozzles, means for operating the depositor, said belt-raising means'and depositor-operating means being carried by the carriage, and means for imparting a limited reciprocating movement to the carriage.

6. In a confectionery machine, a frame, rails thereon, a depositor carriage having rollers riding on the rails, a depositor mounted on the carriage and having nozzles, guide rollers on the sides of the carriage, plates on the frame against which the guide rollers ride, a continuouslymoving belt having a stretch operative between the carriage and frame for receiving deposits from the nozzles,

rollers carried by the carriage,- meanson the carriage operative toraise' the rollersand belt thereover' toward theends of'the nozzles at predetermined times, means for reciprocating the carriage to move it along in company with the belt and at the same speed of travel of the belt during the depositing operation, operating means for the depositor, said operating means being carried by the carriage, driving means for such operating means, and a compensating driving connection between the driving means and the depositor-operating means by which the reciprocating movement of the carriage is permitted.

7. In a confectionery machine, a machine frame, a depositor carriage movably mounted over the machine frame, supporting rollers carried by the depositor carriage, rails on the machine frame on which the rollers ride, a depositor mounted on the depositor carriage, said depositor having nozzles from which a confection is dispensed, a continuously-moving endless belt having a stretch moved below the depositor and receiving deposits of confection from the nozzles of the depositor, means operative to move the depositor for a predetermined distance in company with the belt during the time that deposits are being made on the belt, belt-lifting rollers carried by the depositor carriage, means also'carried by said carriage and timed to cause'elevation and lowering of the belt rollers to bring the belt upon its elevation closely adjacent to the ends ofthe nozzles at the inceptionof a deposit therefrom and then cause'lowering movement of the belt-lifting rollers with resultant lowering of the belt'to thereby cause shaping of the deposited confections, drive means mounted in the machine frame, and a coupling operative between said drive means and the belt-raisingmeans to enable the belt-raising means to be operated while permitting reciprocable movement ofthe depositor carriage relatively to the machine frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,469,316 Hartshorn Oct. 2, 1923 1,903,570 Kremmling Apr. 11, 1933 1,932,345 Kremmling Oct. 24, 1933 2,115,799 Brandt May 3, 1938 2,610,591 Kreig et a1. Sept. 16, 1952 2,664,055 Oakes Dec. 29, 1953 

